Hunts gymnast wins silver at Euro championship

WINNERS: Huntingdon gymnasts Louis Smith (left) Daniel Keatings (right) win silver and bronze in the pommel horse final at the European Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Milan on Saturday, narrowly

HUNTINGDON Olympic gymnasts Daniel Keatings and Louis Smith enjoyed a successful time at the European Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Milan last weekend. Keatings, 19, won silver in the all-around event on Saturday and also took bronze on the pomme

HUNTINGDON Olympic gymnasts Daniel Keatings and Louis Smith enjoyed a successful time at the European Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Milan last weekend.

Keatings, 19, won silver in the all-around event on Saturday and also took bronze on the pommel horse. His score of 88.275 was narrowly beaten by Fabian Hambuechen with 89.175, despite the German stepping out of the vault landing zone, falling from the parallel bars and missing a handstand during a squat full out on high bar.

Smith, 19, won silver on the pommel horse, narrowly losing out to Hungary's Krisztian Berki. Huntingdon's Luke Folwell just missed out on qualifying for the finals in the all-around event.

The gymnast's head coach from the Huntingdon gym club Paul Hall said: "It was a fantastic weekend. I'm very proud of how the boys have done and it's very nice that Daniel [Keatings] has catapulted himself into the big time.

"It's the best result that Team GB have had for a long time and Daniel has proved he has a lot to offer and can go forward and get a medal in 2012. Louis [Smith] was great as well and lots of people thought he should have got gold on the pommel horse but it's the judges who decide though it was very close.

"I'm really pleased that they kept their nerves as it was a pressure competition against the best in Europe and they coped magnificently. I'm sure they all have much more to offer as they still have age on their side.

"Most top gymnasts are in their later years but these lads are both young and so they have much more to give and much more time to develop. Luke [Folwell] just missed out on qualifying for the finals and I'm sure next time he can reach that stage."

Liverpool's Daniel Purvis, 18, finished seventh with 88.075 on his senior debut at European level in the all-around event.

British Gymnastics technical director Eddie Van Hoof said: "It only gets better. Both our Dans have done a great job. The medal and the rankings show how we are competing against and winning with the best in the world."

The gymnasts' next challenge is the Glasgow Grand Prix next month before they head to London for the World Gymnastic Championships in October.